Jack Vercautren’s atypical up-and-down Tuesday round began in inauspicious fashion.
The Neuqua Valley junior chunked an approach, ended up in a bunker and three-putted for double bogey.
“It’s the first hole, you got 17 left,” Vercautren said. “Just try to make birdies.”
And so he did.
Matching a career best with seven birdies, Vercautren shot a 1-under 71 to take medalist honors by two strokes for team champion Neuqua in the Class 3A Lockport Regional at Prairie Bluffs Golf Course.
More Top Picks Best Console Tables
Vercautren’s volatile round, belying his calm demeanor, ended up in familiar fashion.
He repeated as regional champion, and Neuqua won its sixth straight team title.
“Jack’s our anchor guy,” Neuqua coach Bart Carbonneau said. “(Tuesday) was a crazy round for him. It tells you how mentally strong he is. He’s strong enough to come back from a mistake.”
Joining Vercautren with scores counting toward Neuqua’s 303 team total were Thomas Huang and Jeffrey Augustian, both with 77s, and Bryan Stogsdill (78).
Naperville North, which shot a runner-up 313, was led by individual runner-up Nick Sullivan (73). Naperville Central (314) also advanced its team to Monday’s sectional at Blackberry Oaks Golf Course in Bristol.
Vercautren’s aggressive putter was at times his best friend Tuesday, at other times his worst enemy.
He made back-to-back birdies on No. 2 and No. 3 to put the early double bogey behind him. He made the turn at 38, three strokes back of Sullivan.
Chipping in for birdie from just off the green at No. 10 got Vercautren going, and he followed with birdies on the next two holes.
“I knocked in putts but I had a few three-putts too,” Vercautren said. “I thought I could make every single putt so I tried to give it pace and it ended up costing me. It was a little rough. I think I had more birdies than pars.”
Vercautren and Neuqua, though, are still right back where they want to be.
They backed up last week’s DuPage Valley Conference championship with another title, and still eye a return to state. Vercautren was 26th last year at state.
“Jack can always come in low, even with a couple bad holes,” Carbonneau said. “His persona spreads to the rest of the team. The whole team had a great back nine.”
North’s other top-four scorers were Jared Dunnett (77), Carl Christiansen (81) and Matt Branner and Jack Ginzkey, who both shot 82. Central’s scores counting toward the total were posted by Tommy Dunsire (77), Ryan Cagan (78), Jack Noha (79) and Hayden Williams (80).
Sullivan, a junior, played on North’s JV team until this season. He boosted his prospects Tuesday with a sizzling 35 front nine to momentarily take the lead.
“I was conscious of it, but I wasn’t trying to change anything,” Sullivan said. “It shows that our team has the potential to play with anyone.”
Joshua Welge is a freelance writer for the Naperville Sun.